


Intimacy

by RedParrot



Series: The Greater Good - Part Two [13]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, F/M, Gen, M/M, Mpreg, Nightmares, Omegaverse, Rape Recovery, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:27:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27779092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedParrot/pseuds/RedParrot
Summary: The family all try to move on after the recent events. For some, it is hard to accept that their family will be there for them.And… there might be some good news on the horizon.
Series: The Greater Good - Part Two [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738087
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	Intimacy

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little one to tidy up the last couple of stories. There is a lot of angst within the family that needs to be dealt with.

Daniel rolled on to his side and opened his eyes. The long summer days and short nights meant that it was difficult for him to tell how early it was. There was light outside, but that did not mean much when it was almost broad daylight by five in the morning. He looked at the clock on the bedside table. His estimate was correct. The alarm was not going to go off for a couple of hours. Something had woken him. Through the fog of his waking, he tried to remember what it was. Then he heard it again. 

A distinct sob. 

His bedroom door was open a few inches. He, Sammy, and Jamie generally took it in turns to leave their door open in case one of the children needed an adult during the night. The open door indicated which of them was available. Jamie was not included at that moment whilst he continued to recover from the attack, he suffered a couple of months before. Sammy was probably with Jamie using his magic Omega healing powers to help his mate. Daniel did not begrudge the pair. 

He heard the sob again. 

He sighed; he knew where it was coming from. It was not one of the children. It was Clive. His friend was also still recovering and would be for some time. Clive had been left virtually crippled by the attack and subsequent events. Daniel scowled as he thought about what his friend had been through. Arrested for a murder he had not committed and then mistreated whilst he was on remand. It was no wonder he was struggling to sleep. Although outwardly Clive was putting on a brave face and trying not to draw attention to himself. 

Daniel pushed the thin duvet off, he ventured to the hallway and looked at the closed door to Clive’s bedroom. He hesitated. Ever since they had got their friend home, back to the safety of his family, Clive had been wary of him. The Beta was scared of the Alpha. And Daniel did not blame him. Clive had been repeatedly assaulted by Alpha prisoners whilst he had been on remand. He had not spoken much about it but they did not need him to tell them what had happened to be able to guess.

They were all being careful to give Clive the time he needed to work through his internal issues. Although sometimes they had no choice but to interfere.

Daniel knew that he would have to interfere. He thought about getting Sammy but decided to let his mate sleep. Clive was getting better at being with him and Daniel would try not to do anything that would scare the crying man. 

He opened Clive’s door and peered in. 

Clive was lying tangled in the duvet which was half off the bed. His eyes were closed but he was animated. He was pushing at something and mumbling. The vivid dream looked as though it was not pleasant. 

‘No… Please…’

Daniel leaned over Clive.

‘Clive. Wake up,’ he said softly.

Clive turned away, his expression one of pain as his healing leg was twisted by the movement.

‘Please leave me alone…’

Daniel reached out to touch Clive’s shoulder. His friend went very still for a moment before striking out with his fisted right hand. The punch caught Daniel full in the face causing him to stumble back. He sat on the edge of the bed and blinked a few times, reaching up to his face. Clive was still mumbling and breathing fast. Daniel leaned forward again. He knew had no choice but to be forceful before the Beta did himself an injury.

‘Clive. Wake. Up.’

Clive opened his eyes and gasped with shock. Daniel held him still for several seconds as he woke up and realised it was his friend and not some random prisoner leaning over him. 

‘Slow your breathing,’ said Daniel. ‘You were dreaming. It’s over. You’re at home.’

It took Clive several seconds to calm himself. Daniel was aware of Sammy standing behind him. He glanced back. Sammy looked concerned. 

‘He didn’t mean to hit me,’ Daniel said. 

Sammy moved to take Daniel’s place by Clive’s side. 

‘Shh. Clive. It’s OK. No one is going to hurt you.’

Daniel moved back, taking himself out of Clive’s view. Clive focused on Sammy. Daniel could see his friend was crying. Sammy moved closer and pulled Clive into an embrace. They held each other for a couple of minutes as Clive finally calmed himself down. 

‘I’m sorry,’ he said.

‘What for?’ asked Daniel. 

‘Waking you… Hitting you…’

‘I should have got Sammy,’ said Daniel.

Sammy glanced around, ‘so he could hit me instead?’

Clive managed a chuckle between his sobs. Sammy looked back at him with a fond smile.

‘We know you’re suffering Clive. We know it’s difficult for you… But please don’t suffer. I know you’re not keen to talk about it. But don’t struggle in silence.’

Clive looked at them both for a few seconds before he nodded.

‘I’ve been getting really vivid nightmares about it. Although it’s not always what really happened. Some of it’s what might have happened,’ he paused for a few seconds before continuing. ‘You know I was sharing a cell with one of the bigger Alpha’s. He was able to protect me from the other men.’

Clive looked away. Daniel knew the price Clive had been forced to pay for that protection.

‘Some of the others managed to grab me towards the end. They nearly… they nearly…’

He trailed off again, fresh tears falling on his puffy cheeks.

‘Vinci got me out. But it was close… I was dreaming about that,’ he finished.

He looked at them both again. Sammy grabbed him a couple of tissues from the box by the bed. Clive wiped his eyes and blew his nose.

‘I’m alright now,’ he said. ‘I’ll not get back to sleep. I’ll read for a bit. Thank you for waking me.’

Daniel smiled, ‘we’re here if you want us.’

Clive nodded. Daniel hoped his friend would accept their help in whatever form they could give it.

A~B~O

Meg wandered into the kitchen as she scanned through the emails on her work account. She was pleased there was nothing that could not wait until Monday. Her secretary had marked up a few emails as dealt with and the rest were not pressing. She pushed the phone into her pocket, determined to concentrate on the family for the weekend.

Daniel was busy at the cooker; he had his back to her. She could hear bacon sizzling in the frying pan and eggs ready to be scrambled or poached. It always amazed her how patient Daniel was with the cooking. He would make the eggs in three different ways according to what people wanted. Meg knew that Daniel was happy in the kitchen, creating things. Even though his chosen career involved creating things he still enjoyed it outside of his work. Although the exquisite wooden furniture he created was quite the money maker for him. But it was the home-cooked meals that brought them together as a family.

‘I thought I heard one of the boys crying early this morning?’ she said. ‘Was everything alright?’

Daniel turned around. Meg could not help the surprised gasp. Her friend was sporting an impressive black eye. The bruise circling under his left eye with the mark creeping over the bridge of his nose. 

He smiled sadly, ‘it wasn’t one of the boys,’ he said. ‘It was Clive.’

‘Oh,’ said Meg, unable to hide the concern for her former lover. ‘A nightmare?’

Daniel nodded as he started to pull cutlery out of the drawer in the kitchen island. 

‘He’s bottling it up. I probably should have got you or Sammy to wake him. He took one look at me and struck out in panic. Even though he knows me, in that moment of confusion when he wasn’t properly awake… I think all he saw was one of those prisoners that attacked him.’

Meg shook her head, ‘I wish he’d talk. But I can understand it’s hard for him.’

‘He spoke a bit with me and Sammy, but he’s not getting over it. Well…’ Daniel paused and sighed with a shake of his head. ‘Would we expect him to ever get over that?’

Meg knew what her friend meant. Only weeks before, Clive had been assaulted, arrested, charged with murder, and nearly sentenced to be euthanised. Clive had been through more in the previous few weeks than most people went through in a lifetime. It was no wonder he was struggling to get back to normal. Not that there could ever be a 'normal' for Clive. He had been left crippled by his ordeal, despite the best efforts of his physiotherapist. 

‘Should I try talking to him again?’ asked Meg. 

Daniel shrugged, ‘why not? It can’t hurt.’

Daniel turned back to the frying pan. Meg watched him turn the bacon over and adjust the temperature of the hob. She knew the Alpha was finding it difficult being a perceived figure of fear for the Beta. Clive was trying not to show it, and most of the time he was not affected by Daniel’s presence, but every so often there was a slight flinch or slight move away from the taller man. Jamie was not being treated in the same way by Clive. Jamie was still recovering himself and was, Meg guessed, less of a perceived threat, however unconsciously, to Clive. 

It saddened her how much the event was affecting the whole family. The boys were still being careful around Jamie and Clive. And Sammy was stuck trying to keep everyone calm. Meg knew that her work had been affected by the court case and publicity. Although that distasteful aspect of the whole affair was starting to lessen. The sensational court case was old news. Other scandals were distracting the hacks and disreputable journalists. 

Daniel moved to the kitchen table and was busy pouring fruit juices into the glasses that had been set out.

‘You know,’ he said, ‘I think Mary is the only one of them that’s really moved on. I know she wasn’t physically hurt. But mentally, once she’d fully accepted that it wasn’t her fault, she brightened up a lot.’

‘She’s young though,’ mused Meg.

Daniel nodded, ‘I suppose.’

‘Is Jamie still struggling then?’

Daniel looked at her, ‘I think so. Although he’s hiding it as well.’

Meg sighed. She grabbed the cutlery and started to lay the knives, forks, and spoons around the table.

‘He is suffering,’ said Sammy from behind them. 

Meg looked over, Sammy was holding baby Rachel’s hand and helping her to toddle into the room. Baby Isabelle was crawling after them. As Sammy plopped the twins into their highchairs he continued. 

‘Physically, he’s getting better. A lot better. But a bit like Clive, he’s having nightmares. Not as bad. But I know he’s having them.’

‘We need something good to happen,’ said Meg absentmindedly. ‘Could you two get yourself pregnant? You’re due a heat.’

She grinned at Sammy facetious. He tilted his head and smiled back.

‘We’ll see what we can do,’ he said with a glance at Daniel.

‘Don’t count on it,’ chuckled Daniel. ‘It took me a while last time.’

The moment of levity was cut short by the sound of crutches on the wooden floor in the next room. Clive appeared in the doorway, he looked tired.

‘Come and sit down,’ said Sammy as he pulled out a chair for him. 

Clive remained where he was for a few seconds looking at them all.

‘I’m sor-’

‘Do not apologies,’ said Daniel firmly. ‘It was an accident. I’ve had worse playing football with the lads.’

Clive nodded and quietly crossed to the table and sat down. Meg pulled out the next chair and settled next to him. She took his hand under the table and squeezed. He looked at her and nodded his thanks for the comfort. 

‘Can we talk later?’ he asked quietly when Sammy had wandered across to Daniel to offer help plating up the breakfasts. 

‘Of course, any time,’ replied Meg.

She wanted to say more but they were interrupted by the boys barrelling into the room. All three were excited.

‘Rockpools. Rockpools. Rockpools,’ said Henry, a little louder than necessary.

‘Henry,’ said Daniel, without looking up from the frying pan. ‘If you continue to yell, I won’t be taking you to the rockpools. You need to be quiet when we get to the beach. The guide won’t appreciate you scaring all the creatures away.’

Henry looked at the floor and shuffled his feet for a few seconds before muttering an apology. 

Meg and Clive exchanged a grin before indicating for the boys to sit down. Meg leaned forward and looked at Henry who was on the verge of a pout.

‘Why don’t you tell us about the adventure you’re going on today?’

An excited smile spread across the boy’s face as he started to tell them all about the planned trip to the beach. They were going to meet a wildlife expert who was going to take them and some other children to see the rockpools. 

The adults glanced at each other. They knew they had issues that needed to be dealt with, but they could wait for a few hours.

A~B~O

Jamie reached for the piece of the puzzle that had caught his eye. He was convinced it went in the section he was working on. He placed it next to the collection of trees he was almost finished and shook his head with a frown. The colours were wrong. He placed the piece back and scanned the other green pieces. 

The house had been quiet for most of the morning. Daniel and the boys and Mary had disappeared to the beach a few miles away to go rock-pooling. The boys had been very excited about it. Jamie would have liked to have gone with them. But he knew he was still too slow and stiff to be able to keep up and he did not want to draw attention to himself. 

The organised, educational, guided walk was a new initiative, brought in since the Repatriation Act had been passed. Lots of local experts in assorted areas of education had created a group. Families with young children, particularly male children, could sign up and get regular newsletters about talks and activities in their area. The family had already taken full advantage of what was on offer. 

Jamie had enjoyed the activities he had gone on, finding he was often learning as much as the children. The lack of education for the male sexes was being emphasised since the children had returned to the families. 

He looked up as the boys, who had only been back from their walk for a few minutes were running around in the garden. Henry was pretending to be a crab whilst George was a seahorse. Jamie could not work out what Peter was pretending to be. But they were all having fun. 

He went back to his jigsaw; he spotted another likely candidate for the tangle of trees he was working on. He leaned forward to grab the piece but winced as he strained his wound. He leaned back and took a couple of breaths, hoping he had not sent off a pained scent to the rest of the family. He did not want them to start worrying about him. 

The injury was almost healed, he was able to move about normally. As long as he did not rush or stretch too much, he could do most things. 

Sammy had been sleeping with him most nights since the attack, which Jamie knew had helped him a lot. The healing scents or vibes or whatever it was were a positive boon to his recovery. He jealousy wished he could keep his mate for the next few weeks but knew that the next heat Sammy went through was to be shared with Daniel. Not that he would really be fit to go through a rut at that moment anyway. In some respects, it was good that it was Daniel going into rut. But that did not stop Jamie wishing his friend was not going to steal their mate away for a few days. 

Jamie was pulled from his melancholy thoughts by the arrival of one of their subjects.

‘I made you a cup of tea,’ said Daniel from the doorway.

The tall Alpha carefully placed the mug of tea by Jamie, being sure to avoid any of the jigsaw pieces. Jamie nodded his thanks and tried to push his negative thoughts away.

‘It looks like they had a good time,’ he said with a nod towards the boys.

Daniel nodded, ‘you’ll have to come next time. It was interesting. I think all the adults were paying as much attention as the children. It was also good that it was an Omega taking the lead. There were no women. A couple of girls, as well as Mary, but no adult women. I think that put us at ease.’

Jamie could see Daniel’s point. He went back to looking at his jigsaw. Daniel wandered to the window and watched the boys for a few seconds before turning back.

‘How are you now?’ he asked with a smile. ‘I hope you’re not going to cause problems when I have to steal your healer away for a few days.’

Jamie looked up sharply, ‘of course I won’t cause problems. I’ve got no choice, have I. It’s your turn with him…’

He regretted his harsh words instantly. Daniel looked shocked. Their relationship was usually very friendly. Jamie opened his mouth to apologies but could not string a sentence together. Daniel’s shocked expression changed to one of concern. 

‘You’re not alright, are you?’ he asked. ‘I know you're nearly fixed physically. But there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?’

Jamie looked at him for a few seconds before he let out a sob. He put his hand over his face. He was not sure if he was embarrassed or not. He could not hold in the sharp expression of emotion. He sniffed and tried to hold it in. Tried to push it away. But he could not. He blinked a couple of times before he sobbed again and realised, he was crying. 

He was aware of the chair being pulled out next to him. Daniel put his arm around him and pulled him into an embrace. It was not the same as an embrace with Sammy. Being hugged by his friend, by an Alpha, was not about intimacy. It was about mutual understanding and love for a family member. 

‘Why didn’t you say?’ asked Daniel as he continued to hold Jamie. ‘You’re as bad a Clive-’

‘What’s the matter with Clive?’

Daniel pushed him away and glared at him, ‘I suspect the same thing that is bothering you?’

Jamie looked down, ‘but Clive’s ordeal-’

‘Was worse. I think we can all agree on that… but Jamie, you were attacked. That bastard wanted to kill you. You were lucky there were people there that knew how to help you. You were badly injured. You’re still recovering.’

‘But I didn’t go through what Clive went through-’

Daniel sighed and shook his head, ‘you are not to bottle this up. You are going to talk about it. You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to, but you are going to talk to someone about it.’

Jamie nodded and sniffed a couple of times. He knew he had been hiding how bad he felt but had not expected to react as he did when Daniel outright asked him if he was alright. He was supposed to be the strong Alpha. He was supposed to look out for the family, not breakdown and cry.

He realised he needed to apologise to his friend. 

‘I didn’t mean what I said. I am a bit jealous that you’re going to take Sammy away from me, but I don’t begrudge you.’

Daniel smiled, ‘you do a bit,’ he said. 

Jamie nodded slowly, ‘I think I’ve got so used to him being there, it will be odd when he’s not.’

‘It’ll only be a few days,’ said Daniel. ‘Then you can have him back for as long as you need.’

Jamie managed a shy smile. He looked at Daniel for a few seconds.

‘Would you mind being the one I talk to about it?’ he asked. ‘I don’t want to worry Sammy, so close to his heat and I can’t really talk to Clive and… I think I’d find it a bit weird to talk to Meg.’

Daniel nodded his understanding, ‘take your time. And if you need to have a break and talk to me another time as well, then do. I will be here for you.’

‘Apart from when you’re busy with my Omega,’ Jamie said with a grin.

Daniel leaned back and raised his eyebrows. 

‘If you weren’t broken, I’d hit you for that,’ he said with a twinkle in his eye. 

Jamie was grateful to his friend and made a vow to himself that he would take Daniel up on his offer. He hoped that by talking about what had happened to him and how he felt he would feel better. 

He looked at the jigsaw pieces again for a few seconds. He contemplated that putting them together was the same as putting together the fractured images in his head.

‘I think,’ he said, ‘if I could remember it all properly… well the bits I was conscious for, it would be better. But all I’ve got is flashes. I remember feeling the fear from Mary and Clive. I’ve never felt fear like it. It wasn’t the same as when Sammy was in labour and scared. It was…’

Daniel nodded, ‘I know what that fear feels like,’ he said. ‘When Sammy got attacked.’

Jamie had not considered that his friend might understand. He had never spoken to Daniel about the attack on Sammy, Meg and him. Daniel had been badly injured by the rogue Alpha that had been trying to rape Sammy. Jamie realised there were some similarities between the two incidents. 

Daniel continued, ‘I often wondered if it was good that I could remember everything that happened that day,’ he said. ‘I can see now that it is. I’ve not got the… the confusion about it all that you have.’

Jamie nodded, ‘that’s what’s hard. I feel like if I could remember it all... If I was conscious for longer it would be better somehow. I could sympathise with what Clive’s going through a bit more. But I’ve got nothing. Odd images, that’s it.’

Now that he had spoken out loud Jamie realised; he did feel better. He wanted to talk further, and he knew his friend would listen. He knew it was what he needed. 

A~B~O

Clive eased into the stretch the way his physiotherapist had taught him. He balanced for a few seconds before straightening up. He repeated the move two more times before stepping back. He knew the exercises and stretches were helping him. It was a slow process. Hazel had told him on her previous visit that he was doing well, she was not patronising. She meant it. Clive could feel a difference. He was moving with more ease and less pain. He could manage the stairs on his own as long as he took his time. Hazel had hinted that he could try using a walking stick rather than the crutches over the next couple of weeks. 

He positioned himself for the last of the stretches, leaning forward over the chair. He paused as an image flashed into his mind. The table in his cell in the prison. Vinci’s breath on him as he leaned over him whispering for him to relax. Vinci’s hands on his hips, the feel of his cock about to push into him. 

Clive screwed his eyes shut and willed the tears away. Willed the image away. Willed the last few weeks away.

He sniffed and straightened up, staring at the chair for a few seconds. It annoyed him that he had allowed the memory to invade his mind before he went to bed. He knew if he gave into it he would barely sleep. The images, the feelings, the memories of his time in the prison would swirl around in his head and prevent him from relaxing. 

The rest of the family were being careful around him. Poor Daniel was only going near him with permission. Clive was scared of him, but not all the time, it was only when he had the horrible flashing reminders of his ordeal. 

Jamie was unable to relax around him as the perceived guilt gripped him. Poor Jamie had his own recovering to do. His friend had almost died and been left with little memory of the attack on them. The guilt Jamie felt was causing them both to find it difficult to be anywhere near each other.

And Meg wanted to be near him, but he had put a stop to that by getting himself arrested. 

They had been on the verge of rekindling their relationship. He knew he had overreacted when he found out how Beta’s were treated during medical emergencies. But his treatment of Meg that day had been too much. He should not have blamed her. He should not have ended their relationship because of it. Meg could not change everything overnight. His former lover worked tirelessly to get better rights for all the male sexes. But she could only focus on one thing at a time.

It was all his fault. 

But it was not his fault.

Clive sniffed; he was fed up with crying. It felt to him that he was crying all the time. At least all the time he was alone. He learned to keep the horror suppressed when he was with the rest of the family. He was starting to despise the moments he was alone, and the memories would force themselves to the surface and he would have to relive them again.

‘Clive?’

He turned too quickly and gasped in pain. 

Meg was by his side in an instant, arm around him, guiding him to sit on the edge of the bed. 

‘Are you… Clive, you’re not alright, are you?’ said Meg as she stepped away. 

She had stepped away. She had moved out of reach. Clive wondered if she had moved away without thinking. Was he shunning the family somehow? 

‘I miss you,’ he said. ‘I miss your touch…’

Meg looked down for a few seconds before she spoke. 

‘We’ve all been a bit wary of touching you. The way you recoiled from Danny at the court. You were genuinely scared of him and you were trying to keep away from me as well. I don’t think you realised you were doing it. The only person you didn’t pull away from was Sammy.’

He had not realised how much he had missed the contact. He had not realised there was so little physical contact. Even the children were not giving him random hugs. Had he become so scared of everyone that they had all thought he should not be touched again. 

‘We’ve not wanted to cause you to have flashbacks. We’ve been waiting for you to relax. But you’re not getting any better, are you?’

Clive looked back at her for several seconds before he shook his head and allowed the tears to fall. Meg gathered him into an embrace. Clive had missed being held by her. He had missed the smell of her hair when they were close. He clung to her; she stroked his back. 

‘It’s OK, Clive. I’m here.’

‘I’m sorry if you thought I didn’t want you near me,’ Clive stuttered between sobs. 

Meg pulled him tighter. She rocked him slightly. Clive was reminded of the way Sammy rocked the babies. A comforting gesture.

‘Danny was saying he spoke to Jamie earlier,’ said Meg. ‘Jamie’s struggling as well, in a different way. He only has the injury to recover from. But his lack of memories is causing him problems. He broke down with Danny…’

Clive sniffed, ‘he still feels guilty?’

Meg nodded, ‘I don’t think any of us know how to deal with it. But talking seems to be the best way. You’ve talked a bit about it. Talk some more, tell us again about what happened. We’ll listen. Tell us as many times as you need to.’

Clive glanced at the bed then looked back at her. 

‘What?’ she asked.

‘I know we’re not… together anymore, but… will you stay. I feel lonely. I didn’t realise it was me who had pushed you all away, even unconsciously.’

Meg smiled, ‘give me ten minutes to put the bed linen away or Henry will steal it in the morning to make a fort or something.’

She looked at him and smiled. He managed a smile back.

‘I know you just want company,’ she continued. ‘I know we may never get back to what we were. You need someone to talk to and if that means sharing a bed whilst you talk, I am more than happy to oblige.’

‘Thank you,’ said Clive.

He watched her go, pausing to pick the pile of bed linen from the side table by his door. He had wanted to ask her to spend the night with him since he had got home. Sammy had stayed with him for a couple of hours the first few nights, but Clive had told him he should concentrate on Jamie who, at the time, was suffering more physically. When Sammy left, Clive would lie in bed staring at the ceiling as the tears fell unchecked. 

Meg returned in a matter of minutes with two steaming mugs in her hands. 

‘Hot chocolate,’ she announced, ‘the fancy stuff.’

Clive moved to lie on the bed as Meg placed his mug on the bedside table. She circled the bed and paused. Clive nodded and patted the bed, Meg kicked off her slippers and got on the bed next to him. 

‘I’ve not shared a bed with anyone since we…’ she trailed off.

‘Neither have I,’ said Clive before looking away as he remembered that he had shared a bed. ‘At least not willingly.’

Meg put her arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer.

‘It was weird,’ Clive continued, ‘I was grateful to him for keeping me safe, but I hated him for what he was doing to me.’

Meg did not respond. Clive knew she was giving him what he needed, someone to listen to him. He knew he was likely to ramble as he talked but he also knew he would feel better for it. 

‘He was careful not to hurt me… But that was so that he could keep using me for the whole fortnight… And he did… everyday… except the day the other Alpha’s grabbed me…’

He took a breath and looked at his hands realising he was shaking. Meg reached out and lay her free hand over his. 

‘I really thought they were going to… going to rape me… I thought they were each going to take a turn…’

He felt Meg squeeze him a little tighter. He welcomed the contact.

Clive could feel himself relaxing the more he talked. He felt lighter. Meg did not stop him or question him. She simply let him pour out those whirling thoughts that had filled his mind since his release. 

After a while, as they finished their hot chocolate Clive looked at Meg who was gazing into the distance.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I know you have your own feelings of guilt about all this. As a woman.’

Meg snapped her attention back to him, ‘you don’t need to feel sorry about me feeling guilty,’ she said. ‘I know that I, personally, am not responsible for what happened. But my sex is. Women have created this… this system. My guilt comes from not being able to get it changed quickly.’

It was Clive’s turn to comfort Meg. 

‘I know,’ he said as he turned his hand so that he could interlace his fingers with hers. 

Meg looked at their hands and smiled, ‘I miss this,’ she said. ‘Not you being in pain and suffering. I miss… us.’

‘I do too.’

They looked at each other for a few seconds.

‘I can’t…’ he trailed off. ‘I don’t think I can… sleep with you… like that…’

It seemed strange to be shy with his former lover. They knew each other intimately and yet at that moment, it was as though they had never been together. He realised Meg looked sad.

‘At least not yet,’ he continued. ‘I’d like nothing more than to get back to what our lives were like before… before we split up. But I just… can’t…’

Meg’s expression changed to one of fondness, ‘Clive, I will wait. You know I love you. We weren’t just lovers. I wasn’t using you for sex.’

Clive nodded, ‘I know that, but the... sex, the intimacy, it meant a lot to me. It might be a long wait.’

‘Then it’s a long wait.’

A~B~O

Sammy pulled at his T-shirt; he had already pushed the windows to his bedroom wide open. A slight breeze flowed through the room, but it did not stop the prickle that Sammy felt. He

knew he would not be able to wait much longer. His heat was reaching its peak. He would have to mate in the next few hours. He wondered if he could last until the morning so that he could spend a little more time with Jamie. His mate had been much brighter since his breakdown with Daniel. The two Alphas. His two mates had talked for some time. Sammy

was pleased for Jamie.

The family were starting to pick themselves up after the horrible attack. Meg and Clive had spent some time together. None of them had remarked on the couple of nights the pair had spent together. Much as Jamie had shown signs of finally moving on Clive had relaxed a lot. He was still quiet around Daniel, but not as much as he had been.

As he let his mind wander Sammy tidied his room. He looked in the mini fridge, checking if it had enough energy bars and chilled drinks.

He became aware of someone watching him. Daniel was standing in the doorway. Sammy could sense that his mate was hungry for contact, hungry for sex. Daniel's rut was making him want to mate his Omega. But Daniel was respectful and able to keep his urges in check.

Sammy could not help thinking about the last time Daniel had sex. He had seen Liam through his heat a couple of months before. The family’s former Omega and Daniel would pair up once Daniel retired. But until that happened Liam either had to rely on the state to provide Alpha's or for Daniel to help him through his irregular heats. Sammy had given them his blessing, but it had still been odd to watch his mate go off to have sex with another Omega.

And now Daniel was there for him.

'I wondered if you wanted me yet?'

The Alpha did not step into the room. He did not approach Sammy. Despite knowing Daniel would respect him. Sammy was glad Daniel kept his distance. There was always the slight niggle in the back of his mind that he might be grabbed and forcibly mated before he was ready.

'Are you OK?' asked Daniel.

Sammy realised he had not responded. Daniel guessed what Sammy’s issue was.

'Is it weird? I was with Liam a couple of months ago.'

Sammy nodded, 'sorry. You shouldn't be worrying about me as well. You've had Jamie and Clive to worry about.'

'You've been worrying about them as well.' said Daniel. 'And you let me go to help Liam.'

Sammy smiled, 'we've all had a lot going on these last few months. I think it's just all getting a much and my heat is making it all feel... more. I feel a little overwhelmed by it all.'

'I've been struggling a bit too,' said Daniel. 'We've spent so much time looking after Jamie, Clive, and Mary, that we've forgotten ourselves.’

Sammy agreed. There had been a few incidents over the previous weeks that should have warned them both to remember their own well-being. Daniel had become preoccupied whilst working and hurt himself. Sammy was grateful the injury had been slight. And Sammy had spent most of his time trying to offer comfort to the rest of the family and not thinking about his own needs.

'We need to concentrate on us for a few days,' said Sammy decisively. 'I know the urges will force us together in the end. But until that point, we should try to forget everything else and enjoy our time together.'

Daniel smiled wryly, 'it will all still be there once we're done.'

‘And then we can continue to deal with it,’ said Sammy.

Sammy glanced around the room and nodded to himself. He knew everything was in place. He looked back to Daniel.

'I think I'll need you in the next four or five hours,' he said.

He knew the family would manage without them both for a few days. And it would not do any of them any favours if he made himself ill by delaying his heat.

‘I’ll check on Jamie and Graham, make sure they’ve got enough to keep them occupied,’ said Daniel. ‘It’s odd not to close the workshop up completely. But I’ve got staff now.’

Sammy chuckled, ‘and then we can concentrate on us.’

Daniel nodded, ‘I’m still getting used to enjoying my time with you. You know, with no pressure.’

‘I’ll see you in a bit then,’ said Sammy as he waved his mate away good naturedly. ‘We can cut ourselves off for a while and pretend there is nothing else going on.’

Despite all the things that were going on around them, Sammy’s heat could not be ignored. And for once, perhaps a little selfishly, Sammy was pleased. Going through a heat was always intense but it was something he knew and understood. And Sammy wanted something normal to deal with for a few days. 

A~B~O

_Epilogue - One Week Later… ___

__Sammy placed the pregnancy test on the windowsill and washed his hands. He glanced at his watch. Five minutes to get confirmation one way or the other. Sammy smiled. He already knew what the result would be. He had known after each heat if he was pregnant or not. But the test was compulsory, and the result would be passed to the government authority that monitored Omega pregnancy rates._ _

__He walked back into his bedroom and started to get dressed. He could hear the boys in their bedrooms. He imagined Henry jumping on the beds of his brothers. The little Alpha seemed to spend most of his nights in his brothers’ bedroom. Sammy wondered if it would be easier to move Henry’s bed into Peter and George’s room. He was sure the boys would like that. Henry was only a couple of years younger than them and not far behind in his development. Single birth children always developed quicker. Sammy wondered if it was another trick of nature. Where Henry did not have a twin to grow up with, he was catching up with his brothers. Sammy wondered if Henry had been the older child would he have been slower to develop._ _

__Sammy smiled to himself as he realised, he had let his mind wander. He looked at his watch; two minutes to wait. He looked around his room, trying to find something to tidy up. He chuckled to himself when he could not find a thing out of place._ _

__The floorboard outside his door creaked._ _

__‘You can come in,’ he said over his shoulder as he finished doing up the belt on his shorts._ _

__Daniel stepped in with a sheepish look._ _

__‘I just wanted to be here in case you got upset. Last time you got a bit upset when you weren’t pregnant. Even though you said you didn’t mind…’_ _

__Sammy smiled, he had never told his mates that he could tell if he was pregnant or not before he did the test. He had once told Clive who had reminded him that if he was wrong, he would be causing his mate to worry for no reason, or giving them false hope. After that Sammy always kept quiet until he had taken the test. He was going to humour his mate again._ _

__‘So?’_ _

__Daniel was looking at him expectantly. Sammy smiled and made a point of looking at his watch and nodding._ _

__‘It’s in there on the windowsill,’ he said._ _

__Daniel went to the en-suite and picked up the test without looking at it. He walked back to Sammy who nodded that he was ready to find out. Even though he knew already._ _

__Daniel turned the test over. Sammy was pleased to see the grin that spread across his mate’s face._ _

__The End._ _

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it. More to come (once it's out of my head and written of course).


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